DS Automobiles DS 3 History
Catalog record
This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.
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The DS 3 was the car that launched the DS brand: introduced as the Citroën DS3 in August 2009 and on sale from January 2010, it was a three-door premium supermini aimed squarely at the MINI Cooper, with a distinctive floating roof, shark-fin B-pillar, and almost limitless personalisation options. It won Top Gear's Car of the Year for 2010 and, by 2013, held roughly 40 percent of the European premium subcompact market.
A soft-top DS3 Cabrio arrived in 2013 after its Paris Motor Show reveal. The whole first-generation range was rebadged from Citroën DS3 to simply DS 3 in 2015–2016 as DS Automobiles was separated from Citroën. Production of the original hatchback and Cabrio ended in 2019.
The second generation, launched in 2018 as the DS 3 Crossback (the 'Crossback' suffix was dropped in a 2022 facelift), transformed the model into a five-door crossover SUV on the PSA EMP1 platform. An all-electric E-Tense version was offered from the outset — one of the first premium electric small SUVs in Europe. The facelifted DS 3 (from 2022) is offered exclusively as a battery-electric vehicle in several European markets.
Generations
First generation (Citroën DS3 / DS 3) · DS3 / DS 3
Three-door fashion supermini launched under Citroën branding in 2009; rebadged DS 3 in 2016; sold with a Cabrio convertible variant from 2013.
2017 Photo: “File:DS 3 - prawy przód (MSP17).jpg” by Jakub "flyz1" Maciejewski / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Second generation (DS 3 Crossback / DS 3) · DS 3 Crossback
Five-door crossover SUV on PSA EMP1 platform; launched 2018 with petrol, diesel, and E-Tense electric; facelifted and renamed DS 3 in 2022.
2018 Photo: “File:DS 3 Crossback - Mondial de l'Automobile de Paris 2018 - 001.jpg” by Thesupermat / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
2022 Photo: “File:DS 3 (2022) IMG 0352.jpg” by Alexander-93 / Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Cropped to 16:9.
Body styles
- Hatchback (3-door)
- Convertible (DS3 Cabrio)
- Crossover SUV (5-door)
Notable special editions & performance variants
DS3 Cabrio
Soft-top convertible variant of the first-generation DS3 — the only open-top DS ever sold.
DS 3 E-Tense
Fully electric version of the DS 3 Crossback / DS 3; one of the first premium battery-electric small crossovers launched in Europe.
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